in that "the thing pleased me well" to mean that sending the spies pleased Moses well but not God. Rabbi Ammi cited the spies' statement in that the Canaanite cities were "great and fortified up to heaven" to show that the Torah sometimes exaggerated. Reading the words, "And how I bore you on eagles' wings," in , the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael taught that eagles differ from all other birds because other birds carry their young between their feet, being afraid of other birds flying higher above them. Eagles, however, fear only people who might shoot arrows at them from below. Eagles, therefore, prefer that the arrows hit them rather than their children. The Mekhilta compared this to a man who walked on the road with his son in front of him. If robbers, who might seek to capture his son, come from in front, the man puts his son behind him. If a wolf comes from behind, the man puts his son in front of him. If robbers come from in front and wolves from behind, the man puts his son on his shoulders. As says, "You have seen how the Lord your God bore you, as a man bears his son." The Mishnah taught that it was on Tisha B'Av (just before which Jews read parashah Devarim) that God issued the decree reported in that the generation of the spies would not enter the Promised Land. Noting that in the incident of the spies, God did not punish those below the age of 20 (see ), whom described as "children that . . . have no knowledge of good or evil," Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani taught in Rabbi Jonathan's name that God does not punish people for the actions that they take in their first 20 years. Deuteronomy chapter 2 Interpreting the words "You have circled this mountain (, har) long enough" in , Rabbi Haninah taught that Esau paid great attention to his parent (horo), his father, whom he supplied with meals, as reports, "Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison." Rabbi Samuel the son of Rabbi Gedaliah concluded that God decided to reward Esau for this. When Jacob offered Esau gifts, Esau answered Jacob in , "I have enough (, rav); do not trouble yourself." So God declared that with the same expression that Esau thus paid respect to Jacob, God would command Jacob's